Pre-Emption Pays Off for WRAZ

At least one station won't have to pay the $7,000 Federal Communications Commission indecency fine levied this week against each Fox affiliate and owned station for the network's broadcast of reality show Married by America back in 2003.

Capitol Broadcasting's Fox affiliate WRAZ-TV divorced itself from the show starting with its third episode after the broadcasters concluded the series "demeaned and exploited the institution of marriage."

The station cited a promo that boasted "Once engaged, the couples move in to this romantic estate, living together, sleeping together..."

The episode that got the other stations in hot water featured a Las Vegas bachelor party with the naughty bits pixilated, which failed to protect it from the FCC.

You can't say WRAZ-TV wasn't being consistent. It preempted Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire in February 2003 for the same reason.